Walls are Breaking
by carbontetrachloride
Summary: DL. There are only so many walls you can build around yourself.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I realized with some shock that I haven't written anything since last november, so here is my attempt to try and write again. I think it's quite a shaky start and hopefully it strengthens out soon. I haven't been following with the 3rd season of CSI NY, so this is going to be rather independent. I'm open to criticism, don't really care if it's constructive or not, and compliments. Haha.

This is unbeta-ed and I don't own any of the characters portrayed in the TV show. Without further ado...

* * *

**The Process of Thawing Ice **

She had wanted freedom when she chose to move to New York. At that moment she had felt that life was about making the right choices, and at that moment she boarded the plane she had convinced herself that the right choice was to gain freedom from her past. Lindsay Monroe had decided that moving to the other side of the country was the best way to attain freedom, since taking herself away physically was always the best thing to do.

Being a rather stubborn lady, she had almost succeeded in losing the grip hold the past had on her. Almost. She scheduled her trip such that her first morning in the city, she would be working. When she survived the day with more ease than she thought she would've, Lindsay congratulated herself by unpacking her luggage. The only difficulty she had faced was the cocky, arrogant man she had to share a lab with. He seemed bent on making her stay in NYC unpleasant- playing practical jokes on her, purposely bumping into her in the lab, and making fun of her town.

Bozeman, Montana was still her town, and she didn't know if it would ever not be her town. It really didn't help that that man, Danny Messer, had started calling her Montana with a vaguely insulting tone the second day of her job. It was as if no other place in the world could measure up to New York City in his eyes.

She had to agree, though, that New York was a pretty amazing place. Bright lights, tall skyscrapers, and the people who never slept intrigued her. What intrigued her the most, however, was this man. His accent was horrible at first, but gradually it had grown on her. The way he said "Montana" was annoying, but then it started sounding more affectionate than depreciative. These days, Lindsay felt uncomfortable and a little hurt if he didn't call her by her hometown at least once a day.

Lately, she was feeling more hurt than she ever had her entire stay in New York. Stirring the spoon in small circles in the coffee cup, watching the dark liquid turn languidly, Lindsay sighed. She knew it was her own doing that had pushed him away, and a part of her wondered if it would ever be the same again.

"Lindsay."

She turned her attention away from the steam rising gently above her cup and focused on Mac.

"There's a DB in Central Park."

"Alright, I'll go grab my kit."

Mac gave her a small smile, "Grab Danny along the way." She sighed again and downed the remaining coffee in the cup.

* * *

Danny had nodded his head in acknowledgement when she entered their office. "We've got a scene in Central Park." Her voice was soft, almost timid. However, she was Lindsay, and was sure to manage to place a little stubborn confidence in her sentence.

Getting up reluctantly from the reclining chair, he drawled, "Well, what are we waiting for?" and walked towards her. Their journey to the elevator was silent, with occasional stolen glances at each other. Danny licked his lips, stuck his hands in his pant pockets and rocked on his heels. Lindsay clasped her hands before her and stood straight as a stick.

He felt discomfort itching its way across his chest and coughed to clear his throat. It sucked that their friendship had mutated into an icebox – hollow and cold.

After their little confrontation outside the interrogation room where she had essentially given him the "it's not you, it's me" speech, Danny had started to doubt himself. He wasn't sure that he was attractive enough for her, and he wasn't sure if he was good enough for her. When Lindsay had confessed that she liked him, it was with such pain in her eyes he wondered if she was just cushioning his fall.

The elevator doors slid apart and they stepped out, falling into step with each other. For a brief moment, Danny felt that the freezing icicle stabbing at him had melted.

"Do you want to drive?" He asked her, using the pad of his thumb to push the bridge of his glasses up.

She smiled at him, a shy little girl smile, "Why not we drive one way each?"

He tried grinning at her, and hoped he hadn't failed, "Sure."

Danny had driven the SUV while she fiddled around with the radio controls. Finally she found a country station and relaxed, sinking into the seat. She smiled when he rolled his eyes at her. Perhaps things were sliding back into place.

* * *

The gray of the city faded into lush greenery and Lindsay knew they were approaching their crime scene soon. Something about the green carpet grass and the twanging of acoustic guitars reminded her of Montana, so she stared at the hem of her cardigan as Danny parked the car.

The crime scene was tragic because of the pristine setting. Spring was nearing; hence the flower buds were making an appearance amongst the green leaves of the perfectly trimmed bushes. Unfortunately, the tranquil beauty of the garden was disturbed by a dead body leaning face down into a particularly prickly rose bush. Lindsay pursed her lips as she ducked under the yellow crime scene tape and started snapping photographs. She paused to appreciate, briefly, as Danny bent down to set his kit on the ground and open it.

"I'm gonna go look at the perimeters, see if I can find anything? You'll process the body?" She asked him, and passed him the camera.

Taking out his finger print brush, Danny nodded and looped the camera strap around his neck. He didn't know if he should be thankful that they were able to work professionally, even with the tension frazzling their minds.

They worked meticulously, and soon the sun had begun to set.

"Lindsay?" He called out in her general direction.

"Yeah?"

Danny started packing up his kit, "I think we're about done here."

She gave him a tiny smile and counted the number of evidence bags she had in her hands before stashing them into her kit. Walking past him, Lindsay reached into his pocket and grabbed the SUV keys. "It's my turn to drive."

Slowly, the glacier bridging the distance between them was thawing.

* * *

A/N: I hope it wasn't too lame or anything. Do review (and if possible give ideas)! Thanks. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the next chapter, which hopefully isn't a writing disaster. I think the chapter makes sense. I think...

Again, I don't own any TV character.

**Like Fallen Leaves, Things Wither**

The morning started awkwardly with Danny and Lindsay crashing into each other in the locker room. Lindsay had been on her way out after depositing her belongings, while Danny had been hurrying in trying to beat the clock.

There was a small 'oof' from Lindsay as her shoulder smashed into his raised forearm.

"Woah, where's the fire?" He muttered and watched as she blushed a faint rose color.

Lindsay smiled thinly at his lack of apology, nodded at him and pushed her way out. She then continued to stride off to storage to retrieve the evidence from the case and make her way to an empty lab, where she started laying the pieces across the huge table.

The day before, she had collected leaves surrounding the body, which possibly had traces of blood. As she scouted round the perimeter, she had also found the victim's wallet lying open and face down, partially covered by leaves. His wallet had been emptied of all his cash, yet intriguingly credit cards and IDs were left intact. Lindsay started a search in the computer database immediately and meanwhile swabbed the leaves for blood or other DNA traces.

The task was menial and in the second hour, her back started to complain. Her mind had also begun to wander into troubled areas subconsciously.

She wondered how it would ever be possible for Danny to trust her again, and how they could go back to finishing each others' sentences or moving around each other without any hindrances. It was her fault, she felt, for the harshness in his blue eyes every time he laid eyes on her.

If only she hadn't torn him up into a million pieces in that hallway. It had been months, but she still felt it necessary to speed up her footsteps whenever she passed by _that_ hallway out side _that_ interrogation room. Tears gathered in her eyes as Danny's hurt expression flashed before her, constantly reminding her of the coldness she had inflicted upon them. She blinked the salty droplets away and berated herself.

_You do not get to cry, not when it was you who walked away without even turning back._

Shaking her head to dispel the thoughts that were making her mood darker and darker, Lindsay redirected her attention to the browned leaves and the cotton bud in her hand. She missed the harmless bantering they used to share, but now any attempt at humor fell flat to the ground like leaves in the autumn, cold and deserted, the withered veins serving as the only reminder of the warmth of summer.

* * *

The two individual bullets pulled out from the corpse lay on the table, stained with dried blood that had begun to flake off. Danny picked up the two pieces of dull metal and squinted, noticing that they were of different sizes. There was only one possible explanation for the difference, but he decided to check the striations running across the shells just in case.

Not a single line on both bullets matched.

Danny removed his glasses, rubbed his eyes with the side of his knuckles and collapsed into the swivel chair. Massaging his temples, he heaved a huge sigh. He suddenly felt futile and was very tempted to kick the leg of the table. Everything was no good; everything was impossible. Just like trying to get inanimate blood stained bullets to speak to him in English; just like trying to figure Lindsay Monroe out.

The underlying flavor of his thoughts about the petite woman had turned from sweet to bitter lately. When had things changed so drastically between them? He felt a tiny bit angry at her, even though he knew deep inside he would forgive her almost anything.

_Damn_, he thought. What was wrong with him? He was destined to be a screwed up person who made screwed up choices and could never do anything without screwing anything up.

His intentions towards Lindsay had always been good, save the first two weeks she was in New York. But every single time he tried to take her for breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, supper… she would turn him down without so much as batting an eyelash that he wondered if he had done something to hurt her. The only time she ate with him was the bug dinner that he suspected she swallowed just to prove him wrong.

The bullets lay on the glass table, glinting in the fluorescent light innocently. They were coaxing him to do something, just as Lindsay's semi-innocent country ways had drawn out a reaction from within him. Damn it, he wanted to be Montana's cowboy, even if it meant he had to wear leather boots and button up flannel shirts.

He was going to pay Sid a visit next. Perhaps a visit to the creepy place would provide more insight towards the case. And perhaps Sid's creepy place held the answer for his feelings towards Lindsay, and hers towards him.

If anyone asked him for an honest answer, he would tell them he was drowning in misery and his lungs did not have a large enough capacity to keep the fire in him going. He would tell them that he felt as though he was slowly dying out despite the fact that never once had he fathomed the idea of girl induced depression.

Getting up slowly and getting away from the trunk of Lindsay related emotions, Danny grabbed the bullets, placed them back in the evidence bag, and began to look for his partner. Even if she didn't welcome his presence.

* * *

When Danny entered the room she felt her heart leap. She was sixteen all over again, waiting for each and every opportunity to catch a glance, or share a moment with the boy who made her feel special. Lindsay wanted to reach out to touch him, to smooth the tired lines off his face, and run her thumb over his lips.

She wanted to be tender with him, and she wanted to pour her tears onto his sleeves. But the dam she had constructed with careful calculation refused to break, and all she could do was fidget with the plastic stick of the cotton bud with her finger and pretend it was his skin beneath her fingers.

"Hey." She smiled, trying to forget the uncomfortable morning.

He saw the shaky smile flash across her features and let go of the resentment he felt towards her. "We may have two perps, Lindsay."

Looks like he won't be calling me 'Montana' today, she thought with a twinge of agony and hurriedly shoved it aside.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, look at this."

Danny walked over to pass her the computer generated report and winced at their tense nearness. He could feel the warmth radiating off her body, and smell the un-perfumed scent of her skin. Catching her eyes as she finished reading the report, he felt a small part of his world begin to unravel.

* * *

A/N: Review please. And thanks for reading. 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I had some free time, and I remembered I wasn't done with this fic so I started to write. Or type. Anyway, this chapter is more of a continuation than an event. I hope it flows properly though. Have fun reading and hopefully it doesn't bore anyone to death. Do review:) Thanks.

* * *

**Life at the moment **

Life is made up of little and big moments stringed together by vast periods of calm, grief, indifference, joy… For that moment Danny was lost in her eyes, which reminded him of warm wood and golden leaves of the autumn. Then her gaze flickered back to the slip of paper she held in her hands and the moment vanished. What was left behind was a tension filled void that presented itself in the space between their bodies.

Snapping out of it, he asked, "So, what do you think?"

Lindsay dropped her hand slowly and muttered lowly, "I think we need to visit the morgue."

Nodding in agreement, Danny waited for her to remove her lab coat and exited without looking back. There was too much dull pain and agitation for him to handle.

* * *

Lindsay sighed as she walked a step behind her partner. There was a lack of conversation and the heels of her shoes accounted for all of the sounds that could be heard in the silent corridor leading to the morgue. She concentrated on walking softly, curling her feet so that they didn't make as much noise. Life at the moment was a frothy bubble of complexities threatening to burst. There were too many fears and insecurities lining the profoundly thick air surrounding her.

They reached the morgue and entered, coming to a stop before the table Sid was leaning over.

"Hello there, young detectives." He drawled, and it put a smile to her face. If there was anything she could count on, it was for Dr. Hammerback to retain his innate talent for jocular creepiness.

"If you've come to check on Mr. Hempel here, you came in at the right time. I hope the two of you are traveling along at the right speed. It's not beneficial to be at the right place, at the right time, but with the wrong speed."

Lindsay watched bemused as Danny interrupted what could have developed into a full blown lecture on lost opportunities. "Okay, Doc, just tell us what happened to the vic."

"Very well. Mr. Hempel here died due to the two bullets that I've previously extracted and passed to you. If you observe here, you will see that one of the bullets came into direct contact with the 6th rib and shattered the bone." He turned on the overhead lights and directed their attention to the screen of the projector. "Unfortunately, the bone splinters punctured his lungs. It is most probable that he ran out of breath as liquids started running in and collapsed."

Sid rotated the projector in another direction.

"The other bullet, pierced through the cervical spine. I must say his was a rather tragic case. Upon close examination, the main nerve was torn open and he literally couldn't move to save his life."

What followed was a brief moment of silence until Lindsay decided to speak. "Is it possible to tell which bullet struck first?"

"My theory is that both bullets were fired less than a minute apart, I can't really tell."

Both detectives hung around for another minute before giving up. Danny grabbed the autopsy report while Lindsay thanked Sid and both walked out of the glass doors together.

* * *

Lindsay went back to her collection of dried leaves in a foul mood. Usually she would be up for the challenge, but she had had a few too many difficult cases in a row. Working with Danny had become a chore with their uneasy way of communication. She was struggling horribly to deal with everything, and it didn't help that she entered a vortex of complicated emotions every time she thought about him.

She thought about him a lot. She almost loved him; she really, really did. Still a web of doubt wove itself around her mind each time they shared a moment. Lindsay closed her eyes and felt a passive anger wash over her. She was a slave to history, and she knew it was slowly beating the life out of her.

Still, there was work to do, and there were missions to accomplish. Whatever screwed up issues she had with Danny could wait until there was time. But would time wait for her?

* * *

The ballistics lab wasn't bustling with activity and Danny was glad for that. There was space away from Lindsay that he didn't want but desperately needed. They had been standing so awfully close to each other in the morgue that another minute more would've made him shake her violently by the shoulders and demand for an explanation. But he had promised her time, and he wasn't one to break promises.

Lately he avoided looking into her eyes, afraid that she would catch the sense of longing and wistful affection that flowed through him each time he laid eyes on her. He wanted to love her, only she wasn't letting him. Danny shook his head bitterly and scrubbed his hand across his face. None of the women he had ever been with were so complicated. Had they just not shown him their problems, or was his Montana just exceptionally complex?

Danny decided that thinking was a tiring activity and fired the gun he held in his hand, aiming for the plastic dummy a few meters ahead.

The gunshot rang and echoed in his ears. Danny picked up the ruler and walked forward, measuring the depth of penetration of the bullet. Too shallow.

Repositioning the dummy, Danny reloaded the gun and moved a foot forward. If he couldn't answer the questions that plagued his life, he would at least find answers to the questions that science could answer.

* * *

A/N: Unbeta-ed, any grammatical errors or logical errors I sincerely apologize for. Review!!

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Finally got down to writing and the new chapter is up! Yay! I've been busy and lazy, hence the long break in between the two chapters. Anyway, I hope this is good, read and review!

* * *

**Awaken the Beast **

She peeked into the break room and turned away when she couldn't find him. Wandering down the halls of the lab that had become her almost home, Lindsay sighed dejectedly and carried on with her search for Danny Messer. There were things she needed to say to him; things that needed explanations that would hopefully buy her a hug or two. She had the results from IBIS in her hands and was unsure if using evidence as an opener for conversation was a good idea. Still, she dragged her feet forward, hoping they would bring her to where Danny was.

"Lindsay Monroe." She heard his voice and whipped around with a slight jump, but the expression of mild shock she wore on her face soon melted away.

"Hey," she greeted shyly, "I was just looking for you."

The grin on his face made her heart smile even though it didn't quite make it to her face. "Hmm, well, Montana. I'm here now ain't I? Any luck on the…"

"Leaves? Not really, DNA all belongs to the vic. But I've the match results of…"

"IBIS? Great! I've got the approximate distances from which each bullet was fired."

"Close range?"

"Uh-huh. Let me see that." Danny reached over for the piece of paper and Lindsay's insides clenched. This was _good_; they were completing each others' sentences again. It was wonderful, almost; the awkwardness wasn't lodge between their bodies. Swallowing hard, she stared at him as he read the words and figures printed on the white piece of paper.

When he was done, Danny looked at her and smiled. Lindsay returned the gesture in response. Attempt at conversation number 328 was officially a failure.

* * *

Danny was pumped; the case was going somewhere. He could feel adrenaline running through his veins, and his mind was buzzing with excitement. His withering soul was alive all over again, especially now that his Montana had smiled at him twice. Sometimes he wondered how it all began – when he started to go soft. There was no logical explanation for his recent change of psyche. Flack had commented that he never saw Danny's predatory "charm the pants of the ladies" flirting, Stella was often coming up to him with badly hidden gleeful smirks to point the direction in which Lindsay was, eating sandwiches messily, during lunch break and then pinch him playfully on the cheek and accuse him of staring.

He would deny even though his insides were all warm and toasty inside, and pretend to glare as Stella grabbed him by the shoulders and started skipping around with shining eyes. He didn't know where it started to change and it bugged him, but he liked the change. Groaning, Danny realized he even liked the teasing.

His strides took on a slight swagger as he walked beside Lindsay to their office. Boy, was he glad they shared an office, he could stare at her forever. The only glitch in the system was her not staring back at him.

* * *

Lindsay stared at Danny's legs as they moved down the hallway. He had nice legs in tight jeans, she mused, and his cocky little swagger was attractive too.

She knew she had a beast inside of her, just as everyone who wasn't a saint did. Her beast was caged up behind thick steel bars just as every non-impulsive person's was. That beast was most of the time sedated, but sometimes when things weren't going so well, it rattled at its cage and sent tremors through her spirit. Lindsay knew the beast made her human but sometimes she hated it for giving her weaknesses, flaws, vices.

One of Lindsay's greatest weaknesses was her inability to say what she felt when it mattered the most. Perhaps it was her upbringing, or maybe her general discomfort with sharing anything that had to do with feelings, but Lindsay could never voice her emotions unless forced into a corner. And even then, she always found a way to say something that didn't fully described what she had originally set out to say.

So as she, watched Danny strut happily back to their office, Lindsay felt her beast stir and step determinedly on the bundle of words that were working their way up from her gut to her lips.

Instead, her brain-mouth connection focused on work, just as it always did when everything else was failing. "So, should we go see Flack now?"

"Uh-huh. It's now one o'clock, I have a good idea where he may be."

Danny's mood had brightened significantly since yesterday and she was unsure if it was just the unraveling of the case that had uplifted his spirits so dramatically.

Lindsay's flaw, was that she was selfish. As a CSI she was a public servant, but while her job was in the very essence unselfish, her reasons for studying forensic science was far from a innate need to be generous. She knew she was a kind person, not a single mean bone in her, and would never harm anyone. However, she was a CSI because she wanted revenge. She wanted, to make herself feel at peace, and to smother all the nightmares that left her beast purring with fright. She could still smell the coppery tang of blood and the horrible sight of four people she knew so well splayed across the diner floor limp and lifeless. She could still feel the fearful desperation that had clung to her like sweat on a humid summer day. Lindsay wanted revenge for all the people who suffered, and for all the people who ever had to feel what she felt.

Her beast opened a lazy eye and Lindsay couldn't help the wave of bitterness born of her selfishness that washed over her. She was feeling so thoroughly miserable and Danny Messer (how dare he!) was humming away, all trace of the misery he had displayed yesterday gone.

Groaning inwardly, Lindsay knew she could be irrationally selfish.

Her vice, simply put, was that she could not resist staring at him. Sometimes looking at him made her smile a secret smile as wild thoughts flew through her mind. Those thoughts made her blush, but she still could not resist staring at him.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Honestly, I haven't watched a single CSI:NY episode in months. I don't know _who_ Danny and Lindsay are now, I just write based on how I remember them to be, and what they could potentially be like inside themselves. So, uh, feel free to tell me if they're becoming OOC. Thanks. 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I suppose everyone has forgotten about this fic and I don't blame anyone. I've been lazy. But here it is now. I think my brain is underused and I can't write properly now. Hopefully I'll write the next chapter out by the end of this week. Enjoy!

* * *

**It's the Wait that counts **

Danny decided that Lindsay was behaving different. The sad and weary look had not faded away, but her eyes had been wandering over his body all morning. It was nice, but weird.

He recalled what she had said with tears threatening to form outside that interrogation room, "I like you, a lot."

Lindsay was hiding something, just as her roaming eyes were hiding something. It was in his nature to want, desperately, to know what was bugging her so much she didn't even want to have any form of meal with him. Was he really such an unpleasant person to be with?

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Danny sighed, he was going to give her time. Between the two of them, time was constantly being transferred to and fro like a cheap commodity. Danny wondered if time had given up on them for constantly not seizing moments, or if time was soon going to run out. Still, Lindsay was often patient with him, thus he decided to wait for her. The wait was long, but well worth it.

Last Christmas he visited his parents in Staten Island and his mother had pulled him aside after dinner, before the youngest generation of the Messer family began to beg him to play with them.

"You seem different, Danny."

His mother's tone was gentle, but worry tainted her calmness. "Ma, I'm fine."

"You seem full of hope."

"Don't worry so much about me, Ma." But it was true, he was full of hope.

"You've met a girl." It was a statement more than a question.

"Ma!" But he blushed and adjusted the position of his spectacles.

"Why didn't you bring her here for dinner?"

"I haven't asked her out yet."

His mother smirked, blue eyes crinkling at the corner, "You're waiting for the right time?"

Danny blushed again, "Yeah. But Ma, don't make such a big deal about this."

"Don't whine, Danny Messer," but her face was full of laughter, "I'm just happy that you've finally found someone to wait for."

He was about to ask her what she meant when ten little feet came dashing into the kitchen, and ten grabby little hands tugged at his pants. "Uncle Danny! Come play with us! What's taking so long?"

"Alright Elsa," He grinned at the pouting girl, middle of the bunch, "Go bring out the board games."

Five loud and happy squeals filled the kitchen with warmth before they ran out into the living room pushing and nudging at each other.

"Go play with the children, Danny. Remember, waiting always means a lot to _the one_."

* * *

They found Flack at the station spraying his lunch, which he was wolfing down, at his fellow NYPD officers.

"Hey Don, didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full?" Lindsay grinned.

"Lindsay Monroe, shut up." He grumbled after swallowing the food in his mouth, but grinned back at her anyway. "You're such a nag."

"Am not!"

Danny frowned, Were they flirting? No way, he thought, they couldn't be. Lindsay was supposed to be flirting with him if she chose to flirt with anyone. Don Flack was just his best friend with hideous ties who ate with his mouth open, damn it!

"Okay, so what have I done to deserve Messer and Monroe disturbing the peace of my lunch break?" Flack got up from his seat and moved them to a quieter corner of the station.

Lindsay smiled brightly, "We realized we hadn't seen which ugly tie you decided to put on today!"

Danny's eyes widened. Lindsay Monroe was trying to be funny. What the hell happened to dark, broody, silent Montana he had been working with all week?

"Whatever. Okay, Danny maybe you could tell me what was so important."

"We got a match on IBIS, to this guy." He shoved the piece of paper into Flack's hands, "And we want a warrant to search the place."

Danny sure is serious today, Flack thought, as he looked at the computer print out.

"Okay, I'll get one for you as soon as I can. And stick two uniforms with you. Good?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Danny walked away from him, running his fingers roughly through his hair.

"What's up with him?" Flack looked at Lindsay, concerned.

"No idea, he was bright and shiny before we left the lab." She shrugged, but didn't give his behavior a second thought.

"So, uhm, wanna grab a beer after shift later? I got Stella to agree."

Lindsay laughed, "Sure thing. So I'm just there to watch you try to pick her up? Or can I bring some spectators along?"

"Monroe, you promised not to tell anyone. Especially not Danny, he'll just make fun of me."

"I know, I know. This is top secret, got it!" She grinned again. "I'll talk to you later. I should probably go before Danny does anything stupid."

Flack chuckled to himself nervously, unsure of how the night would unfold.

_It's alright, if I chicken out, I can just tease Monroe about Danny and let Stella join in the fun._

* * *

Danny was already halfway down the block when Lindsay ran after him.

"Hey Danny, wait up!"

"Lindsay, what took you so long?"

"Nothing, was just talking to Don." She noticed that he had used her given name this time, "Are you alright?"

His expression was a mask of the storm brewing up in his head, "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied in a strangled voice.

"You sure? If you're not feeling well I could tell Mac for you."

His headache worsened, and Lindsay started to tiptoe to place the back of her hand on his forehead. "You don't have a fever; do you have a sore throat?"

"I'm fine, Montana. Nothing some aspirin won't knock out."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Really? You looked kind of pale just now in the station."

"I'm alright, Montana. Flack was right, you are such a nag."

"A woman can't be concerned without being a nag?"

Danny felt his heart warm up as she walked by his side. He was about to open his mouth, but by then they had reached the lab building and Stella was walking towards them. She grabbed Lindsay by the arm and whisked her away.

"I need to talk to you. Bye Danny!"

Lindsay shrugged apologetically in his direction and let Stella pull her across the street for lunch.

She was concerned. She was concerned and it was worth the wait.

Danny shook his head in confusion and walked up the steps. It was lunch time without his partner. Again.

* * *

A/N: Review, please! I know it's short and weird. ARGH. I hope this fic goes somewhere soon! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm lousy at updating because inspiration keeps trickling in slowly, and at the worst of times.

* * *

**Conversations **

The summer sunshine did nothing to cool his temper as he stormed into the lab, up the stairs and into the break room. Hawkes was eating from his lunch bag when Danny collapsed on the cushioned chair across him and released a hard sigh.

"Hey, Danny, you alright?" Hawkes observed Danny's crossed arms and forlorn expression.

"Yeah," the vein at his temple was throbbing, so he reached up to press his fingers against it.

"Want to share some of that trouble?"

Danny looked up and saw Hawkes' calm face with concerned orbs staring back at him. He hadn't known Hawkes for as long as he had been tight friends with Don, but Danny knew the doctor was trustworthy, and one of the most observant people he had ever met. Before he could decide if Sheldon was worth talking to about girl trouble, his mouth opened on its own accord and words started spilling out.

"Lately I just feel empty, y'know? Other than work there's nothing better to think about. The only other thing I seem to be able to think about just gives me a giant headache." He sighed and closed his weary, jaundiced eyes, unsure of his friend's reactions.

Sheldon smiled inwardly, moments like these are when his rotations in psychiatric wards during med school came into use. Truth was, he already knew what was bothering Danny, probably even before when Danny started to realize he was bothered. "Do I know what that other thing is?" Sheldon maintained a placid face and leaned in slightly closer. Danny had been skirting around Lindsay for way too long and she was perhaps the most guarded person Danny had taken an interest to.

"She just drives me crazy!" Danny exclaimed, rough emotions pushed their way through his vascular system. The thudding in his head was calming down, but not stopping.

Hawkes grinned, "By 'she' you mean a petite brunette with a soft mid-western accent, don't you?"

Blushing, Danny ducked his head to hide that fact. "You already knew the answer, Doc. Just tell me what to do."

Hmm, that was when Sheldon was pleasantly surprised. "You're actually seeking relationship advice from me?"

"Yes."

Obviously the man was too engrossed with his wallows in self pity.

"What happened?"

"I think she was flirting with Flack." Danny muttered sullenly.

"Oh, wow. Seriously?" Sheldon could hardly believe his ears, "You sure you weren't just over reacting?"

"I dunno, man, I dunno," Danny scratched the back of his ear and let out another long sigh.

"Well, Lindsay's not the kind of girl who appreciates crazy, huge romantic plans. She's the kind of girl who remembers breakfast and coffee, little jokes and quips…"

"Since when do you know so much about courting Montana. Have you been flirting with her too?" Danny asked, alarmed.

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Danny, I am not flirting with her. I give you my word that I am also not planning to court her, that wonderful job is all yours. But I talk to Lindsay too, you know." Whoever thought Danny would use such old fashioned words like 'courting'.

Almost immediately and incredulous expression painted itself on Danny's face, "She actually tells you all that stuff?"

"Not so explicitly, of course. ANYWAY…she appreciates small things and good surprises that she says must make sense."

"What do you mean 'must make sense'?!"

"I don't know, maybe you should ask her yourself. After all, you're the one trying to impress her."

The conversation died out when Mac came into the break room to get Hawkes, telling him that there was a new lead in their case. Danny sat alone, listening to the hum of the coffee pot drown out the thoughts rushing through his mind.

* * *

"What is it, Stella?"

"Shush Lindsay. You're the only other female in the entire lab that I can even vaguely begin to talk to."

"Dramatic, much?" Lindsay raised an eyebrow as Stella continued to pull her down the sidewalk.

"I said shush. Peyton is all grabby hands with Mac, and she's nice but sometimes I get tired of her accent. And Jane Parsons is kinda weird. Don't you think she's weird?"

"Stell! What are you talking about?"

Stella pushed her into a café where they found a booth towards the back and sat down, straightening herself, she said, "I think Don asked me out."

Lindsay tried her best to look surprised, "Really? And what did you say? No! What did he say?"

"He said, 'Hey, you're off tonight, right? Want to grab a beer after shift?' I said okay."

"Then what's the matter?"

"I haven't dated anyone since Frankie." Stella's features were clouded with doubt, apprehension and shame.

"Hey, hey, listen to me. Frankie was an ass, you didn't do anything wrong. Just because he was an ass doesn't mean you don't deserve to go out there and find someone for yourself. It doesn't mean a treasury filled with a lifetime's supply of guilt; or fear of disappointment. Everybody is bound to feel lost now and then, but just because of an asshole we don't stop living for the one you love. Don't you see? You deserve more than the scum that rides this earth; we deserve more than an empty eternity."

Stella watched in shock as her friend launched into emotionally charged sentences that held truth but each line seemed to cut Lindsay painfully.

"You go out tonight and have fun with Don; I'll even sit by you and make sure nothing awful or embarrassing happens."

"Really?"

"Yes. I feel like drinking tonight."

"Are you alright? That little speech was awesome, but rather scary."

Lindsay offered her a weak smile, "I'm fine."

"Okay, if you say so. Oh look, lunch's here."

Lunch was mostly a companionable silence and they both left the café full and satisfied. As they walked back to the lab, Lindsay teased the taller woman for blushing every time Don's name was mentioned. "Do you want me to sing Unchained Melody tonight while the two of you stare into each others eyes? Because I could, and I think it'd be very fitting."

"No, you had better not! I much prefer My Heart Will Go On."

Both ladies walked past the glass walls of the break room laughing loudly, unaware of Danny glaring sullenly behind them.

* * *

The hour for lunch had passed and it was time to head back to work, where emotions were suppressed beneath long lists of tasks to do and problems to solve. Danny got up from the couch and tossed his empty lunch bag into the bin, if luck be a lady they could close the case before nightfall and perhaps there'd be an opening for conversation before crime delivered itself to them in a large range of gruesome possibilities.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I think there's a need for some minor character breakdown. Lindsay is convincing herself that she can love, which she knows she can and should, except that she's still bogged down by fears from the past which have built brick walls around her. Danny is pretty simple here, he's jealous of every guy who speaks Lindsay's name. Which is very caveman, but inevitable. He's as simple as a caveman because he's already gone past the insecurity stage and just really wants to grab hold of Lindsay and have a decent date with her. Sheldon Hawkes is the nicest guy who willingly gives out love advice. I haven't figured out if he likes Lindsay just a teensy weensy little bit. He might, but he won't act on it because he's the nicest guy who will step aside. Stella and Don are very uncomplicated at this moment. He likes her, but she's older than him and almost a boss. She likes him but is afraid. But there's not much in their way except for wobbly first dates just as in any other relationship. Mac is non-existent so far but I have hopes of putting more emphasis on him later on. But it all depends on inspiration and how the story will go on. I hope I haven't talked too much. Haha. Do review! 


End file.
